This invention relates to an improved system and method for providing a stable, unitized, multi-tiered palletized stack of product containers, and more particularly to a system incorporating a stabilizing tier sheet for placement between layers of stacked containers, such as those used in the shipment of fruit.
Most products that are shipped in bulk are containerized and placed onto standard pallets for ease of handling during shipment. Various types of containers are employed depending upon the products being shipped. Fruit, for example, is most often shipped in rectangular corrugated containers which are stacked in ordered arrangements on wooden pallets. These containers are usually only intended for a single use, and are discarded by the retailer after the product has been sold to consumers. Thus, any reduction in the amount of material used in producing these containers would result in significant cost savings.
Another important factor in the shipment of goods is that the methods employed must insure that the product arrives at its destination undamaged. Often the containers are merely stacked upon a pallet in a convenient arrangement, and shipped in that manner. When the product is in transit, however, the containers may shift and become dislodged from the pallet thereby resulting in damage to the items being shipped. Various means have been employed in the past to correct this problem, including the securing of the containers to one another by means of plastic sheeting wrapped around the perimeter of the palletized of containers.
Another factor which often must be taken into account, especially with fruit, is the necessity for ventilation within the containers. For example, as discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,877, which is incorporated herein by reference, bananas are shipped from the production location under refrigeration in an unripened state. During shipment the bananas must be maintained at a temperature of between about 56.degree. and 59.degree. F. in order to insure that the bananas will arrive at the retailer in a marketable condition. Since the bananas will begin to ripen even at this reduced temperature, thereby producing large quantities of heat, it is imperative that adequate ventilation be provided within the stacked containers so that the proper temperature can be maintained. Once the bananas have arrived at the warehouse, the containers are placed in ripening rooms, the pulp temperature is permitted to rise several degrees, and ethylene gas is circulated throughout the stacked containers. Thus, the stacked containers must also permit gas to be circulated amongst the containerized bananas. It will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that numerous products, including other types of fruits and vegetables, require similar ventilation during shipment.
In order to achieve the above-described results, various types of containers and stacking methods have been employed. One such container and stacking method is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,877, and numerous other designs of varying complexity have also employed by others in an attempt to achieve the desired results.